CCftA's Black Box Theater presents Riders to the Sea

“Riders to the Sea,” by J. M. Synge, opens at the Black Box Theater aton Friday, March 16, and runs through March 31, with performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased at ArtsOnTheCape.org or by calling 508-428-0669.

The one-act play, a tragic tale of the relentless power of the sea, will be paired with dramatic readings of poetry about the ocean and the shore written by Cape Cod residents. There will also be a display of maritime art by local artists from the “Working Men, Working Boats” exhibit, which was shown last season at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis.

“Riders to the Sea” is directed by Erin Trainor and features Jan Richmond as Maurya, a woman who has lost five of her six sons and her husband to the sea. Susan Cannavo plays her daughter Kathleen, and Amanda Mark is her daughter Nora. Josh Coleman plays her son Bartley who, against his mother’s wishes, goes off to the sea as a storm approaches.

Lee Roscoe, who is coordinating the poetry portion of the evening, and Diana Marshall, also involved in the poetry segment, will also have roles in the play.

The play was first performed in Dublin in 1904, but it harkens back to an even earlier time of subsistence living on the remote Aran island of Inisheer, off the west coast of Ireland. The sea was, and is, a source of bounty and a connection to the mainland, but it was often treacherous.

Ms. Trainor chose the play for several reasons, including her Irish heritage, her love of Irish literature, and to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day. “It is a good fit for winter on the Cape,” she said. “The play explores the harsh realities of life. It is a story of desperation, but it is also a story of family ties, stoicism, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming loss.”

The play is a good fit for the Black Box Theater too, as it takes place in an Irish cottage by the sea. The theater is itself a small house that has been converted for use as an intimate performance space.

Author John Millington Synge (1871 to 1909) based his play on a true account of a man lost at sea and incorporated spiritual and religious beliefs of the people of the Aran Islands into this play, which is considered his finest work. The play is highly regarded for Synge’s portrayal of the spiritual beauty of the Aran Islands and his masterful use of language and Gaelic speech patterns.

The Black Box Theater at the arts center is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, visit ArtsOnTheCape.org or call 508-428-0669. The box office at the Black Box Theater will be open one half hour prior to show time. Latecomers cannot be seated.

Information from a press release.